Tanks

ABSTRACT

A jacketed tank having a cylindrical body closed at the top by a dome and having a lower conical part with the apex directed downwardly. The surface of the cylindrical body and of the lower conical part is provided with several horizontal rows of refrigerating or heating pockets with each row being individually connected to supply circuits with at least two pockets connected in series.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,910,172

Jaegle Oct. 7, 1975 [54] TANKS 3,511,165 5/1970 Schwaiger 99/278 [75] Inventor: Yves Germain Jaegle, Strasbourg, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS France 107,155 6/1917 United Kingdom 99/278 [73] Assignee: Brasseries Kronenbourg S.A.,

France Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert E. Burns; [22] Flled: 1973 Emmanuel J. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams [21] Appl. No.2 324,851

[57] ABSTRACT 52 US. Cl 99/276; 62/441- 134/169 R A jacketed tank having a cylindrical body Closed at 51 1m. (:1. (:12c 7/14;c12c 9/06 the top by and having a lwer Conical Part of Searchm 99/ 4 C 72 27 7 With tl'lfi apex dlI'CCtCd downwardly. The surface of the 99/277 2771. 62/440 441 442; 134/169 R cylindrical body and of the lower conical part is provided with several horizontal rows of refrigerating or [56] References Cited heating pockets with each row being individually connected to supply circuits with at least two pockets UNITED STATES PATENTS connected in Series. 2,033,326 3/1936 Clark 99/278 x 2,916,421 12/1959 Schwaiger et al 99/2'78 x 16 (1181111817 Drflwlng Figures US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 0f 6 3,910,172

US. Patent 0a. 7,1975 Sheet 2of6 3,910,172

FIG.

U.S. Pamnt Oct.7,1975 sheetgom 3,910,172

FIGAQ FIGA b shw 4 of6 3,910,172

US. Patent 0d. 7,1975

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 5 of6 3,910,172

FIG?

U.S. Pateznt Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 6 of6 3,910,172

TANKS The invention relates to a jacketed tank whose lateral surface is surrounded by parallel stages of cooling or heating pockets. The tank can be used for the fermentation of for example beer.

Beer is produced by fermenting the wort of sprouted barley malt and maize, flavoured with hops. The latter takes place in several stages, the most important and most delicate of which is the main fermentation of the wort.

When the main fermentation is completed, the beer must firstly stand whilst its temperature decreases slowly from l4.5 celcius to 6 celcius, then it must stand whilst being maintained at a low and constant temperature of minus l celcius as a minimum. The first stand takes place in the warm keep and the secnd, by analogy with the temperature, in the cold keep".

Until now three series of separate vats has been used for the fermentation proper, the warm keep and finally the cold keep.

This process uses a very complex installation both as regards the circuits for decanting from one vat to another and as regards the indispensible and enormous cleaning system. All this equipment, of stainless mate rial, requires a very high investment. In addition, the complexity of the connections existing between them requires the presence of adequate supervisory staff present at the various important points in order to be able to act quickly in case anything abnormal happens during one of the stages of an operation.

The present invention relates to a cylindrical/conical tank whose lateral surface is surrounded by parallel stages of cooling or heating pockets in order to make use of a new fermentation method in particular for beer.

The particular structure of this tank and its cooling and heating device make it possible to achieve characteristic and constant temperatures in given regions of its inner volume. Since its structure enables it to carry out the warm keep and the cold keep in its single inner volume, it simplifies the decanting apparatus as well as the cleaning system. It will be simple to understand that a notable reduction in cost price per produc tion unit follows from this.

In addition, the use of this new method makes it possible to save time in the production cycle of the beer and above all, to obtain a large quantity of beer of constant taste and appearance.

According to the present invention, there is provided a jacketed tank comprising a cylindrical body closed at the top by a dome and having a lower conical part the apex of which is inverted, the lateral surfaces of the cylindrical body and the lower conical part being provided with several bands of horizontal cooling or heating pockets disposed in stages, each stage being connected individually to a plurality of circuits for supplying at least two pockets in series.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a tank provided with pockets connected to the essential part of an associated circuit;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view, to a larger scale, of a channel of a pocket;

FIG. 2a is a partial elevational view with parts cut away of a cooling pocket;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the jacketed tank showing the inlets and outlets as well as the various tapping points;

FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g are sectional views of the central tube at different levels, showing the successive additions of the sampling tubes to this same central tube;

FIG. 5 is a profile view of the inlet pipe of the tank;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the inlet pipe of the tank;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the tank according to the invention, at the level of line VII-VII of FIG. 3, showing the drawing-off device;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the tank showing its complete cleaning apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the upper arrangement of the cleaning apparatus; and,

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the axial arrangement of the cleaning apparatus.

With reference firstly to FIG. 1, a jacketed tank according to the invention is shown which comprises a central cylindrical part 1, an upper part 2 hereinafter referred to as the dome, and a lower part 3 in the shape of an inverted cone. An outlet aperture 4 is provided in the cone apex for liquid contained at the bottom of the cone.

The lateral surface of the central part 1 comprises several stages of cooling pockets 5 which are all identical in shape, for example rectangular when opened out. These pockets 5 follow in series to form one stage of an annular structure around the lateral surface of the part 1. They are provided with upper apertures 6 and lower apertures 7. When upper and lower apertures 6 and 7 are arranged adjacent each other, a conduit 8 connects them in upwards direction. When a pair of upper apertures 6 or a pair of lower apertures 7 are arranged adjacent each other, they constitute supply points for conduits 9 or 10 respectively so that a separate circuit of at least two pockets 5 connected in series is formed.

This supply structure is repeated from one stage to the next for the pockets covering the lateral surface of the cylindrical part 1.

Several stages of pockets also cover the lateral surface of the conical part 3. Their number and their shape vary at each stage, the illustrated embodiment comprising from top to bottom pockets 11, 12, 13 and 14. As previously, these pockets have apertures 6 and 7 interconnected by a conduit 8. Two networks of circuits, formed by conduits l5 and 16, supply, as previously, separately per stage, at. least two pockets connected in series.

Thus, due to this complete arrangement of circuits, many possibilities of local variations in temperature are available.

FIGS. 2 and 2a illustrate the internal structure of a pocket.

Metal arches 18, spot welded at 17, are located on the lateral wall of the cylindrical part 1, thus providing circulation chambers 19 for the cooling or heating liquid.

These transverse chambers are parallel and staggered such that it is possible to obtain a fall followed by a rise of liquid for -at least two successive chambers.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which shows the upper part of the dome 2 comprising an arrangement of pipes 20 having three branches for supplying or drawing off wort and which will be described in more detail hereafter.

Provided in the upper side of the dome 2 are four observation ports 21, one of which is shown on the lefthand side in FIG. 3, an illuminating port 22, a manhole and a carbon dioxide inlet 23.

Replacement intakes 24 are provided at the connection between the dome 2 and the cylindrical part 1 and at the base of the cone 3, the intakes 24 being shown on the right-hand side in FIG. 3.

An annular horizontal support 24a supports the cylindrical lateral wall 1 and is itself supported by the upper edge of a circular wall 24b on which it rests.

Positioned and fixed at the centre of the dome 2 is the upper end 25 of a central tube 26 comprising a rectilinear and vertical main part 27 extending along the axis of the cylinder 1 and of the cone 3.

This tube is bent at a point approximately half way along the height of the cone 3 in order that its lower oblique part 28 passes perpendicularly through the lateral wall of said cone in the centre of the latter. Its end 29 has an oblique outlet 30 for recovering detergent.

This central tube 26 comprises pipes 31 leading from a series of short sampling points such as 32 and a series of long sampling points such as 33, supported by oblique arms 34. The short and long tapping points alternate vertically along the tube 26 and are staggered angularly around the axis of this tube. FIGS. 4a, 4b, 40, 4a, 4e, 4f, 4g show the various successive additions to the central tube of the various individual tapping circuits aforementioned and from top to bottom.

By keeping watch on these various circuits it is possible successively to check the homogeneity of the beer close to the centre and in a central region for heights increasing along the vertical part 27 of the tube 26 and along a length corresponding to the useful height of the tank.

The length of the tapping points for sampling is determined in order to give a good representation of the homogeneity of the beer in the useful part of the tank, taking into account the circulation of the liquid by means of convection currents existing in the fermentation method employed.

Disposed in the lateral wall of the cylindrical part 1 (shown on the right-hand side in FIG. 3) are various tapping points 35 disposed in a series of vertical planes, staggered angularly for example through 20.

These tapping points 35 which are connected to a recovery circuit (not shown) to facilitate sampling at various levels and in various directions.

Disposed at the left-hand side of FIG. 3 and staggered in space and at different levels, are a first series of tubes 36 called glove fingers. The tubes 36 are closed at their inner ends which bear against the central tube 26 and their outer ends adjoin the corresponding lateral wall of the cylinder 1 or cone 3. Two glove finger tubes 37 and 38 which are shorter than tubes 36 are located in the left-hand inner lower part of the cone 3. The latter are also staggered in space and are interconnected by a branch 39.

The various tubes 36, 37 and 38 are connected to a circuit, not shown, adjoining temperature indicators and recording means, which make it possible to obtain a sufficiently true picture of the temperature distribution in the useful region inside the tank.

The various positions for discharging and drawing off the wort will now be described with reference to FIG. 5, 6 and 7.

The device 20 for discharging the wort comprises an arrangement of pipes formed by three branches 40 slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal. These branches rest on vertical supports 41 fixed to the upper structure of the dome 2 and they are held on these supports by means of clips 42.

These branches terminate in elbows 43 connected to vertical discharge pipes 44 by means of a bolted connection 45. The branches 40 disposed at an angle of 120 with respect to each other converge on and are supplied through a central bent pipe 46 connected to an external circuit (not shown).

The arrangement 20 is staggered with respect to the centre 0 of the dome 2 and may also serve for sampling beer in a stage of the method of using the tank.

Drawing-off pipes 47 (FIG. 7) are composed of sev eral circuits making it possible to direct the drawn off product either to the outside (ejection of the sediment) or to a recovery circuit (for example for the yeast or fermented product) or finally for a re-circulation of the fermented product.

Thus a central conduit 48 is connected to the aperture 4 through a valve 49. This conduit divides into two branches 50 and 51. The single branch 50 serves for recovering the beer, and is connected halfway along its length to a branch 52 comprising a loop 53 and a connection to an external arrangement.

The branch 51 is divided into three secondary branches 56, 57, 58 provided for drawing off the material to be treated or the re-circulation of the beer, each secondary branch comprising a valve 56a, and 58a respectively. The branches 56 and 58 are interconnected by a conduit 59 by way of a valve 59a.

The cleaning device will now be described with refer ence to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

This device is composed of an upper arrangement 60 and an axial arrangement 61 extending around the central tube 26 and using the latter as a conduit for supplying detergent, as well as for its recovery.

Attention will firstly be paid to the upper arrangement 60, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 and subsequently to the various supply conduits.

A central conduit 62 supplies the two arrangements above the dome 2.

It is connected to the axial arrangement through a valve 63 and to the upper arrangement through a valve 64 and a conduit 65.

Conduit 65 supplies at its centre an open circular pipe 66 which is concentric with the dome 2 and has branches 67 extending outwards at regular intervals therefrom. The pipe 66 also has four inner branches 68. All these branches have an elbow, pass through the dome 2 and terminate in spray heads 69 which are identical for the two types of branch.

Supports 70 and 71 integral with the upper side of the dome 2 keep the lower parts of these branches parallel with the axis of the tank.

The axial arrangement will now be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 10.

Perpendicular branches similar to the aforementioned surround the tube 26.

FIG. 8 is an illustration showing seven branches, and FIG. 10 indicates the relative orientations.

The various branches will be numbered from the top in FIG. 8, giving several numbers to a branch which represents several others. They will thus be localised in space. Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 8 and 10, the twelve branches are numbered from 72 to 83.

They all comprise spray heads like the aforementioned branches, the longest having oblique arms 84 and 85 for supporting them from the central tube.

The cleaning circuit is terminated at the lower end of the central tube 26 by the oblique outlet 30 described with reference to FIG. 3 for recovering detergent.

Although the invention has been described with reference to one particular embodiment, it is understood that it is in no way limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A jacketed tank comprising a cylindrical upper portion, a conical lower portion the apex of which is inverted and a dome closing the top of said upper portion, means associated with lateral surfaces of said cylindrical portion and of said conical portion for controlling the temperature of liquid in said tank, said temperature controlling means comprising fluid passageways disposed respectively in separate horizontal annular bands around said cylindrical portion and said conical portion, said separate horizontal bands being disposed one above another, means for supplying temperature controlling fluid to said passageways and means for selectively connecting the passageways of each band individually to said supply means to provide for separately controlling the temperature of each of said bands and thereby providing a selected vertical temperature gradient in the liquid in said tank.

2. A tank according to claim 1, in which said fluid passageways in at least one of said horizontal annular bands comprise a plurality of arcuately extending pockets disposed successively around said lateral wall and means for connecting said pockets of a band in series with one another.

3. A tank according to claim 2, in which said pockets comprise inner and outer walls joined along spaced first and second circumferentially extending lines to define the respective band and further joined along spaced transverse lines extending alternately from said first and second lines part way across said band to provide a serpentive passageway.

4. A tank according to claim 2, in which said means connecting said pockets comprise a passageway connecting a lower portion at one end of one pocket with an upper portion at the adjacent end of the next pocket.

5. A tank according to claim 1, further comprising means for individually sensing the temperatures in said horizontal bands in said tank.

6. A tank according to claim 5, in which said temperature sensing means comprises tubes extending inwardly from lateral walls of said tank to the vicinity of the center of the tank.

7. A tank according to claim 1, further comprising a central tube disposed coaxially with the major axis of said cylindrical portion and a plurality of pipes for taking samples from the tank, said sampling pipes extending lengthwise in said central tube and projecting out from said central tube toward the lateral walls of the tank at different levels to take samples at said different levels respectively.

8. A tank according to claim 7, in which selected ones of said sampling pipes extend farther from said central tube toward the lateral walls of the tank than others.

9. A tank according to claim 7, in which a lower portion of said central tube is bent laterally and extends through the lateral wall of said conical portion of the tank approximately perpendicular to said lateral wall.

10. A tank according to claim 1, including means for supplying material to said tank, said supply means comprising a central pipe, a plurality of branch pipes radiating from said central pipe and a vertical discharge pipe extending from each said branch pipe down through said dome into the upper portion of said tank.

11. A tank according to claim 1, including means for cleaning said tank, said cleaning means comprising a cleaning fluid supply conduit, a circular distributor conduit at least approximately concentric with said dome, means for connecting said distributor conduit with said supply conduit, a plurality of circumferentially spaced branches extending from said distributor conduit down into the upper part of said tank and a spray head on each of said branches.

12. A tank according to claim 11, in which said spray heads are located in two circles, one of which is disposed radially inwardly of said distributor conduit and the other of which is disposed radially outwardly of said distributor conduit.

13. A tank according to claim 1, including means for cleaning said tank, said cleaning means comprising a cleaning fluid supply conduit, a central tube extending axially in said tank, means for connecting said central tube with said supply conduit, a plurality of branches radiating from said central tube at different levels dis tributed lengthwise of said central tube and spray heads on said branches.

14. A tank according to claim 13, in which said branches are of different lengths.

15. A tank according to claim 11, in which said cleaning means further comprises a central tube, means for connecting said central tube with said supply conduit, a plurality of branches radiating from said central tube at different levels distributed lengthwise of said central tube and spray heads on said branches.

16. A tank according to claim 7, including means for cleaning said tank, said cleaning means comprising a cleaning fluid supply conduit, means for connecting said central tube with said cleaning fluid supply con duit, a plurality of branches radiating from said central tube at different levels distributed lengthwise of said central tube and spray heads on said branches. 

1. A jacketed tank comprising a cylindrical upper portion, a conical lower portion the apex of which is inverted and a dome closing the top of said upper portion, means associated with lateral surfaces of said cylindrical portion and of said conical portion for controlling the temperature of liquid in said tank, said temperature controlling means comprising fluid passageways disposed respectively in separate horizontal annular bands around said cylindrical portion and said conical portion, said separate horizontal bands being disposed one above another, means for supplying temperature controlling fluid to said passageways and means for selectively connecting the passageways of each band individually to said supply means to provide for separately controlling the temperature of each of said bands and thereby providing a selected vertical temperature gradient in the liquid in said tank.
 2. A tank according to claim 1, in which said fluid passageways in at least one of said horizontal annular bands comprise a plurality of arcuately extending pockets disposed successively around said lateral wall and meanS for connecting said pockets of a band in series with one another.
 3. A tank according to claim 2, in which said pockets comprise inner and outer walls joined along spaced first and second circumferentially extending lines to define the respective band and further joined along spaced transverse lines extending alternately from said first and second lines part way across said band to provide a serpentive passageway.
 4. A tank according to claim 2, in which said means connecting said pockets comprise a passageway connecting a lower portion at one end of one pocket with an upper portion at the adjacent end of the next pocket.
 5. A tank according to claim 1, further comprising means for individually sensing the temperatures in said horizontal bands in said tank.
 6. A tank according to claim 5, in which said temperature sensing means comprises tubes extending inwardly from lateral walls of said tank to the vicinity of the center of the tank.
 7. A tank according to claim 1, further comprising a central tube disposed coaxially with the major axis of said cylindrical portion and a plurality of pipes for taking samples from the tank, said sampling pipes extending lengthwise in said central tube and projecting out from said central tube toward the lateral walls of the tank at different levels to take samples at said different levels respectively.
 8. A tank according to claim 7, in which selected ones of said sampling pipes extend farther from said central tube toward the lateral walls of the tank than others.
 9. A tank according to claim 7, in which a lower portion of said central tube is bent laterally and extends through the lateral wall of said conical portion of the tank approximately perpendicular to said lateral wall.
 10. A tank according to claim 1, including means for supplying material to said tank, said supply means comprising a central pipe, a plurality of branch pipes radiating from said central pipe and a vertical discharge pipe extending from each said branch pipe down through said dome into the upper portion of said tank.
 11. A tank according to claim 1, including means for cleaning said tank, said cleaning means comprising a cleaning fluid supply conduit, a circular distributor conduit at least approximately concentric with said dome, means for connecting said distributor conduit with said supply conduit, a plurality of circumferentially spaced branches extending from said distributor conduit down into the upper part of said tank and a spray head on each of said branches.
 12. A tank according to claim 11, in which said spray heads are located in two circles, one of which is disposed radially inwardly of said distributor conduit and the other of which is disposed radially outwardly of said distributor conduit.
 13. A tank according to claim 1, including means for cleaning said tank, said cleaning means comprising a cleaning fluid supply conduit, a central tube extending axially in said tank, means for connecting said central tube with said supply conduit, a plurality of branches radiating from said central tube at different levels distributed lengthwise of said central tube and spray heads on said branches.
 14. A tank according to claim 13, in which said branches are of different lengths.
 15. A tank according to claim 11, in which said cleaning means further comprises a central tube, means for connecting said central tube with said supply conduit, a plurality of branches radiating from said central tube at different levels distributed lengthwise of said central tube and spray heads on said branches.
 16. A tank according to claim 7, including means for cleaning said tank, said cleaning means comprising a cleaning fluid supply conduit, means for connecting said central tube with said cleaning fluid supply conduit, a plurality of branches radiating from said central tube at different levels distributed lengthwise of said central tube and spray heads on said branches. 